Binders are employed to hold articles, typically loose-leaf papers, documents, and the like. With repeated use, portions of the binder may prematurely fail.
Conventional loose-leaf binders include three panels: a front cover, a back cover and a spine panel, connected to one another by joints. In some binders, such as molded polypropylene binders, the joints are living hinges. In other binders, the panels are cardboard pieces which are covered by two sheets of plastic sealed around the edges and the joints and edges of the panels only include two sheets of plastic sealed together.
As is the case with most living hinges repeated use strains the material at the hinge. After repeated openings and closings of the binder, the living hinge will eventually fracture, rendering the binder unusable. Similarly, after repeated use or when a binder is fully loaded or over loaded, the hinges often tear. Other areas of the binder may also tear or wear with repeated use.